The answer to the question is definitely a yes. The evils of obesity are not hidden. Obesity results in high blood pressure, arthritis, joint pain & swelling, diabetes, high cholesterol, and much more. The list is endless. But what it also results in is infertility. Being obese can affect the fertility of you and your partner’s. Women, who are overweight have fewer chances of conceiving than women who are not. They are likely to take a year more than healthy women to be able to conceive. Even if she conceives, the chances of pre-eclampsia almost double sometimes triples up. They carry twice the risk of developing gestational diabetes in comparison to healthy women. The chances of miscarriage are also twice, in comparison to other women. Also, the babies born to obese mothers, are more likely to develop congenital abnormalities and other health issues.
Some other risks:
• Hypertension
• Infection
• Blood Clotting
• Stillbirth
• Need for C-Section
PCOS AND OBESITY
PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome. 38 to 66 % of women who have PCOS are obese. They are more likely to develop insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. It is an extremely common medical condition in women which can cause infertility. One in five women of reproductive age, suffer from PCOS. The hormonal imbalance in PCOS can cause obesity, too. By diagnosing & treating PCOS early and following a healthy lifestyle, one can increase the chances of pregnancy.
HOW OBESITY AFFECTS FERTILITY:
Hormonal Imbalance
A person is said to be obese if his Body Mass Index or BMI surpasses the figure of 30. Once the BMI is more than thirty, many hormonal changes occur in the body. These hormonal changes, decrease the chances of conceiving a child.
Insulin Resistance
Obesity is likely to cause insulin resistance, which technically elevates the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, or diabetes mellitus. Moreover, insulin resistance or IR can also affect your fertility and menstrual cycles. It leads to anovulation, a condition in which ovaries do not produce eggs properly.
Affects Pregnancy
Whether the pregnancy is natural, or facilitated by IVF, obesity can create complications, both for the mother and the baby. IVF might fail to work because of the poor quality of the eggs that are being produced by the body. The reason behind this is mainly the hormonal imbalances.
Male Infertility & Obesity
Obesity is not a gender-centric problem. Neither is infertility. Obesity also affects the fertility of men. Some of the common infertility problems associated with obesity are low levels of testosterone and erectile dysfunction.
WHAT TO DO?
Luckily, all of these problems can be avoided by following some basic steps.
1. By cutting out the junk and adding more nutrition to the diet, you can take a small step towards tackling bigger problems.
2. Regular exercise, jogging, swimming, or hitting the gym can help you in burning some of that fat.
3. Seeing a professional; a dietician or nutritionist who would guide through the whole process.
4. Going for routine check-ups.
